Profit drop for Transurban

TOLL road operator Transurban's first-half profit has fallen by 16 per cent but the company has increased its payout to securityholders.

Transurban owns Melbourne's CityLink and the M2 and Lane Cove Tunnel in Sydney.

It also holds a major stake in Sydney's Eastern Distributor and a 50 per cent interest in Sydney's M7 and M5.

The company made a net profit of $81.1 million in the six months to December 31, down from $96.6 million in the previous corresponding period.

In a statement to the Australian Securities Exchange (ASX), Transurban offered no reasons for the fall in profit.

Its toll revenue in the six months to December was $397.7 million, up 3.1 per cent on the same period in the previous corresponding period.

Revenue increased due to a rise in the toll for CityLink, which was partially offset by the impact of upgrade work on Sydney's M2.

Upgrading work on the M2 was 84 per cent complete and was due to be finished in mid-2013, Transurban said.

"We have made good progress on key development projects during the period and are now focused on completing the Hills M2 upgrade so that we can see the full benefit of that project flow through all of our northern Sydney assets," chief executive Scott Charlton said.

Transurban declared an interim distribution of 15.5 cents per stapled security, up from 14.5 cents at the same time in the previous year, due to a rise in its cash flow.

The company expects to pay 31 cents per security, partially franked, for the full 2012/13 financial year.

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